Survival team

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A survival team has to have more than firepower in order to survive, although defense is critical. Excluding children, if you had to pick a team of 10 people for long term survival, what qualities or skills or professions would you seek?

Here's my list; it is not gender specific; I decided that although all adults would be skilled in the use of firearms, there would be one person who would defend as his entire contribution to the group, being responsible for weapon upkeep and tactical ideas:

Leader
Defender
Attorney
Electrician
Plumber
Builder
Mechanic
Nurse
Cook
Farmer/Gardener

I assume you're assuming that this is a city based survival team. Because if it's in the wilderness, well, you guys will be hungry, thirsty and dead right quick like.

There are all sorts of interesting scenarios which can be posited; and indeed according to the geographical area, the group skills would have to be altered.
I live in a suburb close to a city; and I think I was thinking of my own environment; and of a situation where some cooperative ventures with other groups would be possible.

lucille said:

There are all sorts of interesting scenarios which can be posited; and indeed according to the geographical area, the group skills would have to be altered.
I live in a suburb close to a city; and I think I was thinking of my own environment; and of a situation where some cooperative ventures with other groups would be possible.

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Ahhhhh, that makes sense then.

Me, I don't play well with others so I would probably go solo, trading or "borrowing" as needed, heh heh heh.

No offense, but a survival team with a lawyer. If I'm worried about where my next meal is coming from, or being attacked by a roving party of post appocalyptic (sp?) road warriors, the last thing I need is an attorney. If we survive the attack are we going to sue them for unlawful killing or something?

I think all of the group would do well to be cross trained in other skills. For instance, as well as a future attorney I am a registered nurse.

I respect the opinions of all, but to me if there is some disaster the knowledge of a good honest attorney (such as I will be) would be critical after society was stabilized if there were other groups involved in the life and future of your group.
A knowledge of law, of what has worked before in history, of legal commerce, and of checks and balances and protections to society, may help bring a structure into place; surely there will be little time to reinvent society when one needs to focus on survival; but eventually structure and interrelationships will emerge one way or another.
Just my two cents, but I think what I am learning has value.

I think the lawyers, or MOST of them, should be used as bait.

Of course if you're NOT out to catch maggots and such, you may be disappointed.

Should survival teams ever become a necessity I find it highly doubtful that the "legal" system will ever come into play again. I for one hope it does NOT.

I know your ideals are altruistc Lucille, but most lawyers aren't worth the effort it would take to feed them.

There would not be a lawyer on my team, were I to have one, if the sole purpose of that person was to continue a way of life that I don't hold with now.

Now, a good belly dancer, I could see LOTS of benifits to having a bevvy of them around. Just think of the trades that could be made......

Well, I'm hoping in this scenario my family survives. My dad's pretty much a survivialist now, so the catagory is good.
My 2 longest held jobs, I have the most experience with are; Paramedic and Cook, so that's covered.
That just leaves, survival of the species , so my members would be........
off the top of my head;

Ali Larter
Eliza Dushku
Mira Sorvino
Gina Gershon
Amanda Peet
Kate Beckinsale
Sophie Marceau
Pheobe Cates
Neve Cambell
Eva Mendez
there's others, just can't remember them now.

Wes I do not think lawyers (especially honest, serious, ethical ones, that are in the field because they want to use their lives to make a positive difference for others) should be used as bait. Do you and John undervalue social systems? (Actually I know you don't; and that you are excellent thinkers, but am trying to draw out of y'all what sort of system you will put in place, or if you have given any thought at all to that part of establishing a new society).
Of course you COULD just go with the belly dancers and harems, at least you will die happy....

I'd pick 10 either Special Forces Soldiers or Navy Seals or a combination of. Of the 10 one would have Medical knowledge and another would have Mechanical. Since I have electrical, plumbing, building, cooking and gardening knowledge, the rest would just have to learn and or follow instructions as we go. Having all 10 being of elite military status, the other groups that would rather take from others than do for themselves (which if this scenario was to actually occur there would definitely groups like these) will not be a problem for my group.

lucille said:

Wes I do not think lawyers (especially honest, serious, ethical ones, that are in the field because they want to use their lives to make a positive difference for others) should be used as bait. Do you and John undervalue social systems? (Actually I know you don't; and that you are excellent thinkers, but am trying to draw out of y'all what sort of system you will put in place, or if you have given any thought at all to that part of establishing a new society).
Of course you COULD just go with the belly dancers and harems, at least you will die happy....

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Well, my take on the Lawyer thing. I have deep respect for certain Lawyers, particularly Prosecuting attorneys, lawyers that do wills, etc. even (to a lesser extent, showing my bias) defense lawyers. On the flip side, I also think certain types of lawyers are ruining this country ie. the ones who take the blame off "us" and put them on whomever has the big bucks;

Suing the tobacco companies-the lawyers got billions (to themselves)on behalf of people who KNEW smoking causes problems, even before warning labels, common sense tells you that inhaling pure smoke can't be good for you, not to mention what happens when a person first tries to smoke-you cough, hack, till you about pass out, and sometimes even throw up......hmmmmm who would have thought that inhaling smoke was bad for you.
Fat people (and their lawyers) suing fast food joints, because they are fat. Makes me sick. I'm overweight, it's my own fault period. I love greasy hamburgers, and continue to eat them.
Now, the lawyers are going after gun manufacturers, suing gun makers, because a CRIMINAL shot someone. They are now starting to go after the law abiding citizen that the criminal stole the gun from, (the criminal wouldn't have been able to murder someone, if he wasn't able to steal the gun from an innocent citizen) sickening, absolutely stupid. Everytime I hear something like this I jokenly say....."well, why don't they go after car manufacturers when a drunk driver kills someone (it's the same logic as the gun suits) the drunk driver (who, as all the above is not responsible for his own actions) would not have been able to drive the car and kill someone if not for the car manufacturers, they can even apply this to the criminal who steals or carjacks and in a pursuit crashes and kills someone. The sad thing about it is, even though I say it as a joke, just wait it will happen.
Sorry for my diatribe Lucille, I'll get of my box now.

To actually answer your question as it applies to your thread I was thinking along the lines of "survival team" as being in a road warriors, or waterworld, kind of situation, and while Lawyers will be need, in this kind of situation, I think it would be decades (at least) before such time, and therefore, I would not have room for one on my survival team. As a consolation, I will add Stephanie March to my list. She played a lawyer on Law & Order;SVU

If you are talking survival in the literal sense then.....

A Hunter
A Martial Arts expert
A Fabricator/Engineer
A Doctor
A Blacksmith/metal worker/gunsmith
A Farmer
A Brewer
A Cobbler
A Tailor
A Wood worker/carpenter

Of course, SOME people might choose:

A hairdresser
A dog groomer for Fifi
A personal trainer
Their Botox doctor
A shopping assistant
A car waxer
Masseuse
Dry cleaner
Manicurist
Psychic